Method of manufacturing an agglomerated or composite product



nosa tl'hltlfllfi lllllTlDilt DE EtUlEHICU CALSALNUVALS, lFlEDlEl-UGO SCll-lFWAh-ff'lh'l, M19 lENlEtlEtZt'UlE til-llIh-UJPUEJBLO, tilt lhlllfttjitlhtllhlrl, sraru.

l lo ltrawtne". application filed November at, rear, tterial Tito, races, and in ttpatn January to, tutti.

i ofsheets thereof are placed together, the one above the other, and attached to each. other by means of a varnish which transformed into an agglutinant in the course of the man ufacture of the product.

The varnish which acts as the agglutinant in the present application, forms the subject matter of the pending application for Pattleri No. 16,817, which has matured into' Patent No. 1,621,4t38, of March 15, 1927, and consists of an aminoniacal soap comprising gums, resins and fatty acids of certain oils, .with or without the addition of albumen, casein or other similar substances, and is obtained by saponifying the gums and resins with ammonia or other volatile alkaline radicals in the presence of ricinate of ammonia.

According to the present invention the method of producing the agglomerated product consists essentially in talring sheets of paper of the quality, dimensions, colour, and the like adjudged to be suitable for the conditions to be fulfilled by the final agglomerated or composite product, and applying to these sheets a watery solution of the above mentioned soap to which may be added any desired colouring materials or the like. The paper after the application of the soapy solution is dried for the purpose of removing the water and the ammonia of the agglutinating varnish and the sheets are then a sembled in superposed relation according to the thiclrness desired in the product and are compressed hot whereby the soap or varnish previously applied softens and acquiring properties of an agglutinant fastens the sheets together so as to form acompact body.

carrying out the invention the varnish or soap may be applied to the paper by means of a machine such as is used for staining or varnishing paper, which applies a uniform layer of the varnish or soap on one both sides thereof, This operation may also be effected. simply by immersion by the paper to pass continuousl through a receptacle containing the solution of soap or varnish.

l t hen the paper has been varnished it is conveyed to a dryer or stove in which it is allowed to dry in order to effect evapoia tion of the water contained in the varnish and also of the ammonia whereby the varnish is converted into a fatty and resinous substance suitable for use as an agglutinant.

After the paper has been dried it is preferable before assembling the sheets together for the purpose of agglomerating them, to pass it through a calender so that it acquires a smooth and level surface so that on the subsequent assembly of the sheets they have a better contact with each other and the opera tion of securing them together is facilitated.

llo effect the agglomcrating operation a suitably heated press or mould is utilized so that, by the combined action of pressure and temperature the varnish may be softened and may act as an agglutinant to unite the sheets of paper perfectly with each other. The pressure and the temperature used in the agglutinating operation are a complex function of the gums and resins used in the manufactureof the aforesaid soapy varnish, and also of the structure and constitution of till the paper used as the raw material and the qualities of hardness and resistance desired in the final product. in any case the temperature must be below 200 t3. and in prac tice any temperature below this point may be adopted as will give the best softening of the agglutinating varnish and afford the most intimate adhesion or tmion between sheets of paper 'lhe product obtained by the practice of the present invention is in its composition and structure very similar to wood and ei1- eels in its qualities the best timberi lit is also capable of being machined lilre natural wood with the saw, lathe, or the like and its resemblance to these woods as regards ap pearance is so complete that on being machined it displays grain, veinings andrings similar to those of natural woods. ft is also capable of taking a polish at least equal to that of the best hard woods,

lhe new product is also characterized by a high degree of impermeability and heat and electric insulating properties as compared with natural woods and other similar products till ltltl ltlti It also possesses the following material advantages, among others over natural Woods, viz

(1) Greater homogeneity without the de fects, knots and cracks which characterize natural woods. (2) Much greater duration inasmuch as it is free from the putrefactive materials which in general give rise to decay and diseases of natural woods.

(3) Greater qualities of strength which are constant in all ways and directions. This property is much in contrast to natural woods which only present a relative con.- stancy of the value of their strength along a given direction of the grain.

(4) The very valuable property that it can be manufactured into blocks, boards and sheets of such measurements and dimensions as required. 7 I (5) The interesting possibility of being able to provide the product with cores of very strong substances, thus securing features of strength unattainable by natural woods.

(6) And in addition to all the possibilities of an artistic character, the possibility of being able to make translucent products.

We claim:

1. The method of manufacturing synthetic wood which comprises applying to sheets of vegetable fibre a coat of a watery solution of a complex soap of resins and fatty acids of certain oils saponified with ammonia,

leaving these sheets of vegetable fibre to dry in order to eliminate the water and ammonia, and then in assembling said coated sheets in superposed relation and subjecting them to the action of pressure and heat.

2. The method ofmanufacturing synthetic wood, which comprises applying to any suitable kind of sheets of vegetable fiber a coat of a watery solution of a complex soap of resins and fatty acids of certain oils saponified with ammonia, leaving the sheets to dry in order to eliminate the water and the ammonia, calendering the sheets to leave them with a smoother and more even or uniform surface and finally superposing said sheets and uniting them together into a homogeneous body by the action of pressure and heat.

3. The method of manufacturing synthetic wood which consists in applying to sheets of vegetable fiber a coat of a Watery solution of a complex soap of resins and fatty acids of certain oils, with the addition of a solution of albumen and colouring matter, allowing said sheets to dry, calendering them when dry and lastly superposing them and uniting them into a homogeneous body by the action of heat and pressure.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

ROSA CAMPS VlUDA de QUIRICO CASANOVAS. FEDERICO SCHWARTZ. ENRIQUE GlL-CAMPORRO. 

